Switch



oct. 13, 1925.

S. REYNOLDS.

SWITCH Filed Oct. 31, 1924 INVENTOR. Wren Reyno/ds. BYd/wvm A TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES Piercer oniricaCl SVEN IREYNOLDS, OF PROVIDENE, itCIDEISLAND.

SWITCH.

Application led October 31, 192114 Serial No. 747,047.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, SvEN REYNOLDS, a subject ot the King of Sweden,residing at Providence, in the lcounty of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches ofwhich the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to an improvement in the construction of acircuit closer for direction indicator for motor vehicles; and. has forits object to provide a circuit closer for this purpose which is mountedto be operated by the steering mechanism of the vehicle, whereby thedirection in which the vehicle is bein turned is automatically indicatedby ilIuminated devices mounted thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tubular member havinga slidable contact member mounted therein which is provided with meanswhereby a movement of the tube relatively to the contact member willclose the electric circuit to operate the direction indicators.,

A still further object of' this invention is the provision of meanswhereby one of the circuit closing members is carried on' the,

cross-rod of the vehicle, and the other of said members is supported onthe axle thereof, whereby a movement of one to either side of its normalcentral position will close a circuittodjridicate the direction in whichthe vehicle is; being` steered.

Vith these andother objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction` as will be more fully described, an'dparticularly pointed out. in the appended cla1ms.r

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an outline of the vehicleconssis showing my improved circuit-closing device mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation illustrating the tubularhousing member with the two pairs of the ldifferent circuit closingcontact strips mounted therein.

Figure 3 is an enlarged .fectional elevation on line 3--3 of Figure 2showing the circuit connection to the contact strips through thecylinder. also showing a leather covering for closing the slottedopening in the tube.`

. Figure 4 is 'a clamp for supporting said tube on the steeringcross-rod of the vehicle chassis.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the core of the contact head.

Figure 6 is apair of spring contacts which are carried by the core.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the sup porting guide blocks for thecontact head.

Figure 8 shows a perspective view of fragmental portion of the contactcarrying tube also a portion of the contact head mounted therein, saidhead being supported on an arm from the front axle of the machine.

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional elevation on line 8w-8 of Figure 2through the 'coutact head and the guide blocks mounted in the tube.,

rigure l() is a perspective view illustrating one oi thedirection-indicating signals which are operated by the closing ot theditferent electric circuits through the circuit closingy mechanism.

It is found in the operation of motor vehicles, of advantage to indicateboth to the vehicle approaching from the rear and also to the oneapproachin tromthe front, when intending to turn s iarply either to theleft or to the right so as to avoid accidents.

-It is also found of advantage to have these indicating signals operatedautomatically whereby the turning of the steering wheels a givendistance wili` cause the indicating signals to operate and so show tothe 'appreaching vehicles the direction intended to e taken by thedriver. It is also found ci advantage in accomplishing this result toAmount a tubular member on the steering cross-rod and to mount a contactmember on the axle thereof to extend into the contact carrying tubewhereby the swinging ot the wheels in opposite directions causes theopposite circuits to be closed to light a lamp and illuminate theindicating signs; and the following is a`detailed description of thepresent embodiment of myY invention and showing one means by which theseadvantageous results may be accomplished z With reference to thedrawings, l() des ignates a tubular member, preferably formed ofinsulating material, in which are mounted two pairs of contact strips 11and 12, which pairs extend longitudinally of the tube on the insidethereof and on opposite sides of its center portion, which strips arearranged to leave a space 13 at the center ofthe tube between the endsof each of these pairs of strips. v

The outer ends of one pair of these strips are connected to the circuitwires 14 through the binding posts 15 and the opposite ends .of theopposite pair are connected to the c1rcuit wires 16 through bindingposts 1.7. Closing caps 18 are secured to the opposite ends of the tubeand a longitudinally'disposed slot 19 is formed in the tube throu hwhich the contact carrying arm 22 exten s. The tube 1() is preferablysupported from the steering cross-rod 20 by clamplng members 21. Onemeans of operatively supporting the contact carrying arm 22 is to bolt aflat plate 23 by means of a stud 24 to the front axle 25 and on thisplate is provided a stud 26 and to this )late is fixed a tubular member27 and in w iich is slidably mount; ed the contact arm 22. The outer endof this contact arm is reduced and extends through the slot 19 in thetube 10 and to this reduced end is secured a pair of spring con tactband members 28, which bands have their ends 29 turned inwardly toloosely fit in the slots 30 of the core member 31, whereby they aremounted to engage the strips 11 and 12 to complete a circuit betweenthem. In order to operatively secure these contact spring members in thehead member, I have mounted them between two guide blocks 29 and 30,each of which vslides in the tube and serves as opposite bearing membersto take the thrust and cause the contact arm to slide endways in itstube 2T to compensate for the curve of the swinging movement of the tube10 on its rod 24,andanut 31 is threaded up to the end of this arm 22 tobind the members of the contact head securely together and at the sametime leaving these' spring contacts free to expand and contract uponmoving into and out of contact with its contact strips 11 and 12.

IVhen the steering apparatus is in its cen-l tral or normal position, asthe vehicle is directed straight along the road, this contact head is incentral position in the space between-the two pairs of contact strips,when upon turning to the right the cross-rod carrying the contact tubeis swung to the left thus causing the contact head to engage the strips11 and complete the circuit through wires 14, to light the directionsignal 32 and indicate that the vehicle is to turn to the right, uponswinging the wheels to turn the vehicle to the left the contact head ismoved from central position into Contact with strips 12 thus closingcircuit through wires 16 to light the lamp in the indicator 33 to showthe vehicle is turning to theV left. In steering straight neither of thecircuits is closed and therefore, no direction signal is illuminated. Itis found of advantage in some instances to arran e the indicating signal34 in the front of t e car and also an indicating signal 35 in the rearof the car and by my improved arrangement or mechanism both may belighted at the same time.

My improved indicating device is very simple and practical in.construction and effective in its operation.

The foregoing description is directed sole-` ly towards the constructionillustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve theprivilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the deviceis sus ceptible, the invention bein defined and limited only by theterms o the appended claims.

v I claim:

1. In a direction indicator for motor vehicles, a tubular casin carriedby the steering cross-rodof the ve icle to swingY with it, said casinghaving a set of contact strips, and a circuit closing member supportedon the vehicle axle and having a head portion in said'tube to bridgesaid strips, and means whereby the operating length of said closingmember may be elongated and contracted to accommodate the relativemovement of said casing.

2. In a direction indicator for motor vehicles, a tubular casing carriedb the steering cross-rod of the vehicle to swing with it, saidcasinghaving a set of contact strips, and a circuit closing membersupported on the vehicle axle and having a telescoping body portion,said contact memberhaving a head portion in said tube to bridge saidstrips and close one circuit when the tube is moved to the right ofcentral position and another circuit when moved to the left of center.

3. In a direction indicator for motor vehicles, a casing carried by arelatively movable member of the vehicle and housing two sets of contactstrips, a circuit closer having an extendible body portion supported ona relatively fixed portion of the vehicle to compensate for a relativemovement of said casing, said body carryin a head adapted to yieldinglyengage and side on said strips to alternately close two differentelectric circuits when moved to opposite sides of center or normalposition.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

SVEN REYNOLDS.

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